8 Big Names You Didn't Know Won The Kenya Open

The Kenya Open has not always been part of the DP World Tour, but it has a long history having been established way back in 1967.

Over the years, some of the biggest names in the game have lifted the trophy. Here are eight of the highest-profile victors of the tournament, which celebrates its fifth year as a DP World Tour event in 2024.

Maurice Bembridge - 1968, 1969 and 1979

The Kenya Open was part of the Asia Golf Circuit when Englishman Bembridge claimed the first of three titles in 1968 with a two-shot win over Terry Westbrook. The year after, he repeated the feat, this time by five shots over Bernard Gallacher and Simon Hobday.

By the time Bembridge won the Kenya Open for a third time, in 1979, he’d had two top-10 Major finishes and represented Great Britain & Ireland four times at the Ryder Cup. Gallacher finished runner-up for the fourth time at the event as Bembridge beat the Scot in a playoff.

Seve Ballesteros - 1978

After turning professional in 1974, Ballesteros quickly established a solid reputation on the European Tour with four wins by the time the 1978 edition of the Kenya Open came around. However, back then, it was part of the Safari Circuit, which featured tournaments in Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe.

The Spaniard edged out the more experienced Bernard Gallacher by one shot to enhance his reputation as a serious emerging talent.

The month after, he had his first PGA Tour win, and during the remainder of 1978, he also claimed four more European Tour wins, with another coming on the PGA of Japan Tour. The following year, he won the first of his five Majors, with a two-shot win over Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw at The Open.

Eamonn Darcy - 1982

The Irishman picked up his fifth professional title with a one-shot win over David Jagger in 1982. 

Darcy would eventually claim 16 professional wins, including four on the European Tour, in a career that also included a T5 at the 1991 Open and four Ryder Cup appearances, finishing on the winning team in 1987.

He probably should have had more career wins, too, but finished runner-up 13 times on the European Tour.

Ken Brown - 1983

The year after Darcy’s victory, it was Scot Ken Brown’s turn to shine with his one-shot win over Jeff Hall helped by a final round of 66. That came after a win at the Carroll’s Irish Open on the European Tour and Ryder Cup appearances in 1977 and 1979.

Later in 1983, Brown was part of the European Ryder Cup team again, and he was also part of the winning Ryder Cup teams of 1985 and 1987. He eventually had a successful broadcasting career and was awarded an MBE for services to sport and broadcasting in 2019.

Ian Woosnam - 1986

The Welshman claimed his second Safari Circuit win after a playoff with Scot Bill Longmuir for his fifth professional title after turning pro a decade earlier. 

Woosnam’s fourth European Tour win came later that year, and soon his career took off with a string of victories over the next decade, the highlight being his one Major win – the 1991 Masters. He also spent 50 weeks at World No.1.

Christy O’Connor Jnr - 1990

In 1989, Christy O'Connor Jnr shot to prominence with one of the best shots in Ryder Cup history – a 229-yard effort that landed four feet from the hole - the decisive shot that beat Fred Couples in the Sunday singles as the Europeans retained the trophy. That silenced his critics, many of whom didn’t feel he should have been in the team after an unhappy Ryder Cup record leading up to the match.

It was under more sedate circumstances that O’Connor Jnr claimed his fifth professional title at the 1990 Kenya Open, easing to victory over Englishman Chris Platts. He eventually enjoyed 16 professional wins, with three top-10 finishes in Majors.

Trevor Immelman – 2000

Immelman arrived in Kenya nine days before the tournament began to get fully prepared for his first Challenge Tour event, and it paid off in style. The South African found himself in a three-way tie for the lead heading into the final round, before cruising to a four-shot win over Henrik Stenson.

“Winning in 2000 was a very a special moment for me,” he told europeantour.com. “I was just starting my career, I had only been a pro for six or seven months, so winning the Kenya Open really was a springboard for me.

“I have very, very fond memories. Especially being from South Africa, to win such a special event was a big moment for me.”

Immelman, who was just 20 at the time, went onto claim another 10 professional titles, including the 2008 Masters at Augusta National. He is now a member of the CBS Sports broadcast team and captained the International team at the 2022 Presidents Cup. 

Edoardo Molinari – 2007

Molinari claimed his second professional win at the Challenge Tour event in 2007, beating James Kamte by one shot. 

Four years later, he finished T11 at The Masters, and got even closer to a maiden Major win with T7 at the 2014 Open. 

While a Major win continues to elude him, he has now claimed 10 professional victories, while he played an important role crunching the numbers as one of Luke Donald’s 2023 Ryder Cup vice-captains at Marco Simone, as the Europeans beat the Americans.